Numbers 6:9
Context6:9 “‘If anyone dies very suddenly 1 beside him and he defiles 2 his consecrated head, 3 then he must shave his head on the day of his purification – on the seventh day he must shave it.
Numbers 31:26
Context31:26 “You and Eleazar the priest, and all the family leaders of the community, take the sum 4 of the plunder that was captured, both people and animals.


[6:9] 1 tn The construction uses the imperfect tense followed by the infinitive absolute, יָמוּת מֵת (yamut met). Because the verb is in a conditional clause, the emphasis that is to be given through the infinitive must stress the contingency. The point is “if someone dies – unexpectedly.” The next words underscore the suddenness of this.
[6:9] 2 tn The verb is the Piel perfect with a vav (ו) consecutive; it continues the idea within the conditional clause.
[6:9] 3 sn The expression is figurative for the vow that he took; the figure is the metonymy because the reference to the head is a reference to the long hair that symbolizes the oath.
[31:26] 4 tn The idiom here is “take up the head,” meaning take a census, or count the totals.